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4/01/2014

Abrams Falls

(For photo creds, click on the pictures)

Abrams Falls isn't a very high waterfall, but it can be very "heavy". It's also very beautiful. The hike is also very beautiful. It's a little bit of hike to get to, but well worth it. It is rated as a "moderate" hiking trail, but there are parts of it that seem more like "difficult". The total round trip hike is 5 miles, and should take anywhere between 3-4 hours. And, of course, there's always the danger that you may see a bear wandering around. Appropriate footwear would be hiking boots due to the trekking over rocks, as well as a couple of log bridges.The trailhead is just inside Cades Cove. Due to this, if you're planning a trip to Abrams Falls, you probably should add in at least an extra hour to get to/from the trailhead...just in case. There are times when traffic is heavy in The Cove.

As with any waterfall, there is a serious danger of drowning if you get in at the bottom of the fall. There have been some deaths due to people not heeding this warnings. www.hikinginthesmokies.com reports that this hike is listed in the top 10 most dangerous hikes in the country. (I'm glad I didn't know that last time I hiked it!) The reason for its listing is the threat of hypothermia, as well as the drowning risk. But, don't let that deter you from hiking to Abrams Falls...it's well worth the hike as long as you respect the surroundings.

12 comments:

Yes, there are some who insist on jumping in near the falls. In fact, just a few years ago, a school child drowned during a class trip. She was wading, got out too far, and the current pulled her under.